Is building your own wheels worth it? Or is just purchasing a new or used set a better option? I have the rims and hubs just need to order spokes. Been thinking about trying it.

suggest you research some of the recent threads on the topic. Sure it's worth it.

this thread has some good step by step info Total beginner - am I crazy to attempt to true a wheel? - Bike Forums

Best online resource for you - a classic Wheelbuilding (sheldonbrown.com)

/markp

Its "worth it" for learning this skill and it will help you also be a better wheel truer sp? when wobbles should be fixed.
Its cheaper especially when considering your time, to just find or buy nice wheels.

Also, its nice to be able to fix broken spokes, save time and $$$

So a different question: Is this a one-off project or a skill you plan on using quite a bit?

If it's a one-off, you can read articles & books, watch internet videos, and proceed at your leisure.

If it's a skill-building exercise, then I strongly recommend having someone else oversee your first few builds, so a wheelbuilding class or a buddy with wheelbuilding skills.

There are a lot of ways to go wrong when building wheels. If you don't take your time and do it right, you wind up chasing your tail, wasting time and aggravating yourself in the process. So it helps to learn it right the first time.

Can you find pre-built wheels with exactly the same hubs you want, exactly the same rims, the same spokes, the same spoke pattern, the same number of holes in each wheel? If so, then buy the wheels pre-built.

But if not...

Personally, I prefer to build wheels. I have bike parts so I often have rims and hubs. I also buy rims. And I always upgrade my vintage bikes to stainless steel spokes. I was a racer back in my college days and did it out of necessity. Then I worked in a bike shop and was the only mechanic that could build a wheel. Now I do it to get what I want for a vintage bike. This is my take on it.

Like [MENTION=324221]bargainguy[/MENTION] said above, it may not be worth it if it is a one time thing. Seth from Berm Peak (YouTube) built a wheel and his conclusion was he liked being able to get the rim, spokes and hub that he wants for the build, but for the money, he thought it was better for him to go to a bike shop to get the wheels built.

So it depends.

Will it save you money? Probably. Will you enjoy it? Maybe. I do, so I do.

Yes, like cooking or baking it allows you to do exactly what you want, tailor things to your needs, your tastes. I have built several sets of 3-speed wheels using aluminum rims, which are fairly straightforward, require no dishing. Installed one pair on my Huffy Bay Pointe, I immediately noted the vastly improved braking and the amount of time shaved off my rides.

Yes.

Building your own wheels should get you exactly what you want. If you're building wheels for a 9 speed commuter, you're likely wasting your time since you can buy a wheelset cheaper than you can build from purchased components. If you have an out of production hub, obsolete spacing or gearing, or other needs, you can save a few bucks by learning how to do it yourself, or you can ask a builder/LBS to put it together for you for a one-off. At that point you're only learning a skill rather than paying for someone else's labor and (hopefully) a warranty on the labor.

I have only built 'simple' wheels; 32 or 36 spoke 3x cross using j bend spokes. I've learned a bit about the wheel as a system, which makes maintaining my wheels or fixing wheels simpler. The concepts aren't much different for straight pull spokes or lower cross # or lower spoke count wheels, it's just that the tools change and the margin for error decreases. If you go forward with building by yourself, remember to measure at least twice for your effective rim diameter, or where you expect the ends of the spokes to sit inside the rim once the hub is laced in. You'll find half a dozen methods to measure ERD here on the forum and elsewhere on the internet. Thankfully the spoke manufacturers have calculators so you don't have to question your recall of trigonometry to get to the right result.

An easy way to measure ERD is to take some old spokes of known length and nipples and find two holes opposite each other on the rim you plan to use. take the spokes and put one in each hole, then thread the nipple on so the spoke end is flush with the slot on the nipple. pull the spokes to the center of the rim and measure any gap or overlap with a pair of calipers. Your ERD is therefore the length of the spokes plus (or minus) the measured gap (overlap) between the heads of the spokes -~4mm (to account for the spoke thickness included when you measure this way). Make a few measurements around the rim to average and eliminate error from the rim being slightly ovalized. This method also works if the rim has a double wall and you can't directly access the spoke bed from outside the rim. If you have access to the spoke bed, you could use a stretchless tape or paper and wrap that around the rim at the spoke bed and measure the circumference, then divide by pi to get a diameter.

EJM73,

You really need a wheel truing stand. It can be done without one but, trust me, you really need one - even if you build the stand yourself.

Of course, you must have a good spoke wrench but you should also consider two other tools - a dishing gage and a spoke tension gage. These tools assure you have a quality build.

You will not save any money on your first wheel build if you buy those tools. Those tools help ensure you are building good wheels, as good or better than anything you can buy.

Do it yourself and use the tools and you will LEARN A LOT!

I do not regret having the tools sit unused for years or decades because I know they helped me build wheels that lasted that long. Plus, when I needed them, they were right there, waiting for me.


P.S. - my truing stand folds down to a small package and gets stored away in a box of parts.

​​​​​​I just use my upside-down frame. Works great.

But maybe the op isn't resourceful enough and needs to spend another $100-300.

Absolutely. There is no substitute.

You can get them for less than $100, and even the cheapies will be better than trying to do it with the wheel in the frame.

"No substitute" ... except for the bike frame he should already have.

I have all the tools except the truing stand. It something I been wanting to try. I have a lot of hubs and rims from the 80's and 90's that I acquired over years. I was thinking of building up a set of clinchers to put on the track bike.

I build all of my wheels. After doing it for more than a few years, it takes about 30 minutes to lace the rim and another 40 minutes to finish and true the wheel. I spent about 30 minutes last Monday working with a Co-Op worker who was trying to correct a wheel dish that had a bunch of wobble after his attempts. I explained how to correct for dish and then how to correct wheel hop. He learned enough to do some minor work in the future and in just a half hour. Learn to build wheels yourself you won't regret it. Smiles, MH

It might lead to some other wheel builds later. But now just a one off changing a track bike from sew ups to clinchers

The correct tools ALWAYS make the job easier.

I tried to remove a Phillips-head screw using the corner of a flathead screwdriver. Did it work? I guess. Eventually I got the screw out. Would it have been easier with the correct Phillips head driver?

I think we all know the answer to that.

Since this is posted in C&V and you enjoy the hobby of cycling, yes, you should build a set of wheels. The cost of the tools and materials is not substantial, and I find it a fun and relaxing experience. The downside is limited, and mistakes are easily remedied with minimal additional costs. The answer is probably no if you want to build a modern set of high-performance low-spoke count wheels. These high-tension wheelsets require different build techniques that hobbyists have more difficulty dealing with.

There are “in the field” ways to set up building a wheel.
for a first go, I would find a used truing stand. A wheel “dishing” tool.
do some referencing and try a front wheel first.

It's worth it for the knowledge, increased independence (you can now maintain all of your wheels and help your friends), and satisfaction of doing jobs to your standards.

It has indubitably cost me more money than I would have spent just buying the wheels I need, though.

Easier ... maybe. It certainly depends.

I have homemade tools for wheel truing, fixed cup removal, pressed cup installation, dropout alignment, frame spacing, etc. etc.

Your screwdriver metaphor is rather unthoughtful. The op probably deserves better.

I can lift up my car using a long piece of steel and fulcrum, but a jack is easier?

I can start a fire rubbing two sticks together, but a lighter is easier?

I can cut a pizza with a fork, but a pizza cutter is easier?

I can cut my lawn with scissors, but a lawn mower is easier?

Any of these meet your stringent metaphor requirements?

You seem to be arguing that 'easier' is the equivalent of 'essential'. Am I reading your posts correctly?

I built my 1st wheels using my bike as the truing gauge. I got the wheels built faster and for a LOT less money than if I had waited for a truing stand. I had a shop check the wheels out. They told me they charged from $4-$20 to true a wheel (1980 price), and they expected it would cost me $20. They charged me $4/wheel, and I got a few 1000 miles out of the wheels, at which point the bike was stolen..

The economics are much less favorable for a one-off wheel builder now, with new, machine-made wheels available for not much more than the cost of spokes alone - but at least some novices can build a good wheel with a minimal toolset.

With hubs and rims already on hand, why not give it a try?

No. The proper tools aren't "essential." Like I said, it's possible to true wheels using the bike frame. Just like it's possible to remove a Phillips screw with a flathead. The proper tools aren't "essential." But they do make life easier. Isn't that why one would use the correct tool for a job, when another might suffice?